


Vignettes from Camelot: After Dark

by sophielou21 (Scarlettpeony)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-08-07 01:36:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16398923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlettpeony/pseuds/sophielou21
Summary: A spin-off of the 'Vignettes from Camelot'.A collection of mature and explicit-rated drabbles, vignettes, ficlets and one-shots that were written between 2009 to 2011 for BBC Merlin.





	1. Retrospect [M]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen's bed finds it hard to cope with its mistress's new found habits with Arthur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for the camelot_love 1st Drabble Tag. It is based on a prompt by la_esmeralda_ which is "Gwen's bed breaks (for whatever reason :D)".

Gwen knew that, in retrospect, the bed would eventually break. It was seventeen years old and very small, only built to take the weight of one person. It could have handled two... if they had kept very still. But there was no chance of that! It had been the lack of stillness that finally killed it.   
  
If the bed had feelings it might have expressed surprise when one day Arthur and Gwen collapsed onto it and started thrashing about.   
  
It had served Arthur well in the two nights he slept on it despite how much he fidgeted... yet somehow it did not see this coming. Even when Gwen was a child and she used to jump on top it hadn’t been as forceful as  _this_.   
  
The bed creaked and groaned helplessly as they frantically moved against each other, hammering and thrusting while crying out to the heavens a chorus of “Arthur”, “Guinevere” and various other sentiments and profanities. When it was all over Arthur, Gwen and the joints of the bed all let out a great moan of appreciation. Then there would be the blissful stillness accompanied by kisses and “I love yous”.   


The ordeal was over.  
  
But then it kept happening! There were still some nights when Gwen would sleep stilly and alone in the bed. Then there were some nights when she wouldn’t sleep on it at all (because she and Arthur were at the palace attacking his bed, a bed that could cope with the strain) but all too often would they return to her house and shag madly on the tiny bed.   


If the bed could think it wouldn’t know what to think!   
  
The sad truth was after seventeen years of loyal service as the bed that Gwen simply slept in it couldn’t take the pressure of being the bed she made love on. It was just  _too much._ The longer time went on the more frequently it occurred, and the more frantic and experimental it became.   
  
If the bed could talk, it would say “Give it a rest!”   
  
Then one night it finally died. It had taken assault after assault on its joints, night after night for months when it finally gave up. It wasn’t clear why it just suddenly gave up the ghost; maybe Arthur had taken Gwen just a little bit rougher than usual, or pounded her into the bed just a little too hard... or maybe they had finally just worn the damned thing to its last screw.   
  
The bed fell in on itself just as the pair of them climaxed and collapsed against it, causing more shock and sensation than they had been expecting.   
  
They were so dazed it took them a moment to realise what had happened. Arthur lifted his head from where it had been buried in Gwen’s shoulder. “Did we just break the bed?”   
  
“I think we did.”   
  
They pulled themselves from the wreckage and wrapped the bed sheets around themselves, still recovering from their tumble.   
  
“Poor thing,” Gwen commented, unable to contain her laughter. “It has served me so well too.”   
  
“Never mind,” Arthur said humorously. “We’ll get you a new one. In the meantime, you can sleep in my bed.”   
  
“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?”   
  
“I'm not going to lie,” Arthur said. At least his bed could cope with the demand. 


	2. You Can't Break Perfection [M]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lancelot is engaged to Gwen but knows she and Arthur are still lovers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for the camelot_love 1st Drabble Tag. It is based on a prompt by osept which is "A/G betray Lancelot".

Lancelot was not surprised at the ‘betrayal’.   
    
It wasn’t so much a betrayal as it was really an inability to just let go. He could slip in and out of the picture easily. While he became the centre of attention and conflict when he was there, he would be quickly returned to the back of Arthur and Guinevere’s minds when he wasn’t there. He did not dominate their lives or even feature much, which he wasn’t sure whether he was indifferent or hurt by that fact.   
    
_“How could you have said yes to him?”_    
    
_“I’m frightened, Arthur!”_    
    
He had no right to feel hurt—he had played and hurt them several times, and it took him a while to realise that. He knew that the only reason Gwen had agreed to his proposal was because she had had a particularly bad week in regards to Arthur and their ability to be together. Uther was hot on their tails and was probably hoping to belittle Gwen enough so that she would say yes to the first brainless idiot to come along and think she was too ‘sensible’ to say her marriage vows with two fingers crossed behind her back and one eye on Arthur.   
    
_“Frightened of what?”_    
    
_“I’m frightened that I’ll lose you—we keep talking of a future, but will it ever happen?”_    
    
_“We can’t wait for it; we have to make it happen. Both of us.”_    
    
Betrayal was not in Gwen’s nature nor was it in Arthur’s. They didn’t see it as a betrayal; they were sorry at the possibility that knowledge of their activities would hurt Lancelot, but not sorry they did it. Lancelot knew full well that Arthur had been Gwen’s lover. That he still was her lover.   
    
_“Arthur...”_    
    
_“Do you love him?”_    
    
_“He’s a good man... I cannot hate him.”_    
    
_“But do you love him?”_    
    
Lancelot wasn’t going to lie. It  _did_  frustrate him that upon agreeing to become his fiancée Gwen kept her legs firmly crossed to him when everyone knew she had happily spread them for Arthur when all he could offer her was talk that offered hope. No one knew exactly what Arthur would say but whatever it was clearly made her pliant to his desires. There were all sorts of rumours going around about those two.   
    
_“Your kisses always lead to something more.”_    
    
_“I love_ you _.”_    
    
_“Then tell him that.”_    
    
_“I will... I will. He’s a good man. I don’t want to hurt him.”_    
    
_“He’d be even more hurt if he knew right now you were making love to me.”_    
    
Lancelot could offer a normal life without any prejudice or strings, a chance to live peacefully with five or six children somewhere, if he could ever get a job or stay still for five minutes. Was that what Gwen was worried about? That he would keep disappearing and coming back?   
    
_“You’re right._ _We shouldn’t be doing this...”_    
    
_“I know. Kiss me again.”_    
    
If Gwen would just settle down and marry him then maybe he would settle down too! Wouldn’t he? Yes, of course he would. He’d do anything for her. But would he? Yes, yes—and they should settle away from Camelot, away from Arthur. But then would she miss her home and friends? Would she miss Arthur, not just for his love and his body but for his friendship? Fine, they’ll stay in Camelot. But then this would continue...   
    
_“We should stop. Wait until he’s gone before we do this again.”_    
    
_“We should—ah!—But we won’t.”_    
    
_“No, we won’t.”_    
    
Guinevere would never leave Camelot. She would never leave Arthur. He had a hold on her now. She’d keep going back to him. She’d  _want_ to go back to him. Gwen knew that just as much as Lancelot did. He could feel it just now when she said she was off to help Gaius with his rounds. Lancelot knew it was a lie—Gaius had told him she didn’t need to work today. He knew she was going to see Arthur. But he had pretended he didn’t know and let her pluck a kiss on his cheek, similar to one he had seen her give Merlin many times. Did she kiss Arthur like that too? He doubted it.   
    
_“Don’t stop! Please, don’t—ah!”_    
    
_“I’ll never stop.”_    
    
_“I’ll—I’ll tell him—god! –I’ll tell him tonight!”_     
    
Lancelot admitted defeat. He hoped Uther would soon too. He wrote an extremely brief note and walked to Arthur’s chamber door. He knew they were in there together, having sex. As he stood silently by the door he could hear the sounds of their desperate whispers and anxious cries, and the subtle creaks of the bed.   
  
He shoved the note under the door. He rather crudely thought to himself that had he not left it somewhere near Arthur's bed Gwen would never find it. Since he could not stick it to Arthur’s forehead, under his chamber door was the second best place.   
  
And then he left.   
  
Arthur and Gwen did not notice Lancelot's note for hours. It sat there lonely on the floor as they made love, thinking only of each other. It was only as they were dressing again that Gwen noticed it lying there on the floor. She recognised Lancelot’s handwriting and opened it.   
  
“What’s that?” Arthur asked over her shoulder.   
  
“I think Lancelot’s gone.”   
  
Arthur rushed over to look at the note. “He knew we were together?”   
  
“He must have.”   
  
He put the note down and wrapped his arms around Gwen. “Are you alright?”   
  
“I’m fine. I’m just guilty he must have known all along.”   
  
He kissed her neck. "I love you."   
  
"I love you too."   
  
The note simply read:  _“You can’t break perfection. So I won’t.”_ 


	3. Relief [M]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In times of crisis, it was natural for even the finest of Camelot to be stressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Kink Meme on ag_fics based on the prompt by mydoctortennant “After battling skeletons and saracen ninjas all that pent up tension just needs to be released.”

In times of crisis, it was natural for even the finest of Camelot to be stressed.

 

Such as was the case for Arthur and Guinevere. They did live in Camelot after all - a kingdom notorious for its times of crisis. The stance against magic just encouraged people that used it to practise their dark arts against the king.

 

Flying gargoyles, dangerous plagues, sleeping enchantments, dragons, King Cenred's war  _and now the army of the living dead._  An army of ninjas and magically created skeleton people, to be more exact. They were probably Cenred again, although it might be Morgause. Hardly anyone cared these days since Camelot seemed to be at war with  _everyone_.

 

It was too much for everyone. Gwen was rushing about trying to help Gaius tend to the wounded, and Arthur had so much rage in him that now he would just grab his sword and hack at whatever enemy lay before him, man or magic.

 

When the attacks were rife nobody got any sleep because of the fighting and constant fear. It was easy for Arthur and Gwen to forget that they were actually  _alive_. They felt like they existed in a place that didn't want them. It was a place of no rest, where the only human contact was hands on wounds or hands on the enemy slicing them into two.

 

It caused delirium and the best way to get out of it was to have  _a good hard shag_  wherever and whenever time allowed them to.

 

It was ironic given that they were usually so exhausted from work and lack of sleep, but it always did the trick to relieve the fear and tension built up over the chaos. Each time there was an empty space between battle and casualties, they made love.

 

Very rarely they would make it to Arthur’s chambers. If they did it was a good sign: people would finally sleep that night in Camelot. Instead they had to settle for alcoves in corridors, nooks under stairs and cupboards in the kitchens. They would walk for ages around the castle looking for somewhere. The moment one of them spotted somewhere, they would grab the other one’s hand and drag them into that space.

 

It was usually Gwen that spotted the best places.

 

There was never any time for indulgence. Arthur would kiss Gwen fiercely as he took her, fast and a little bit rough at times. But she didn’t mind; she didn’t have to look deep down inside herself to know that she liked it.

 

He didn’t mean to be as vigorous as he was. It was his anger and aggravation venting themselves into pleasure-seeking ruts. It was fury at the situation Camelot was in and irritation that, in being in that situation, Arthur had to go for days without talking or even seeing Gwen unless he had injured himself.

 

Gwen lived in waiting for these moments. Every hard thrust that knocked her against the wall was a much-needed awakening to the fact that they were still alive. These quick and desperate tumbles were a celebration of that fact: they had lived another day.

 

Her legs curled around his waist weren’t just a method of pulling him deep inside her body but a hug of relief.

 

Yet they also had to face the prospect that tomorrow they could die. So it wasn’t just a celebration of life but a preparation for death. They didn’t want to die without having each other clear in their minds. Their smells, kisses, sweat-licked skin dampening their clothes or their laboured breaths as they dedicated half an hour of their short time to bringing delight to each other. The sound of their groans and growls that was almost more animal than human.

 

Too often their brief meetings would be intermingled with tears of relief and sorrow. Arthur would feel Gwen’s tears roll down his neck. His only response would be to try and hold her tenderly and stroke her affectionately, despite the uncontrollable way he was pounding into her. She would smile through the tears. It was one of the things that made their sex into lovemaking.

 

On days when too many people had died – knights, guards, soldiers, citizens of men, women and children – it would bring the only ounce of happiness to their day.

 

The disaster around them never lessened the euphoria Gwen felt when she came. It intensified it, causing her to arch her back against the wall and  _scream_. Even in a public place it made no difference as everyone was screaming.

 

People paid no more heed to her climax than they did to Arthur’s, who by this point would be a quivering mess. It would only be as he finished that he would realise just how sleep-deprived he still was. He would struggle to withdraw from her and jerk himself into completion. Gwen often finished him off herself; it never took long before he came hot in her hands. It was their only way of avoiding bringing another person into the mess that surrounded them.

 

Then they would stand there for a moment, taking deep breaths to recover and holding each other. The world would go momentarily calm. Even the cries of the people would fall silent.

 

“Try and sleep tonight,” Gwen gasped against his ear, eyes closed and still recovering.

 

“I’ll try,” he whispered back, “for you.”

 

They both knew it would be unlikely that either of them would.


	4. Indulgent (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Gwen take their time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Kink Meme on ag_fics based on the prompt “Making love in the candlelight,” which is a lyric from an S Club 7 song.

The candlelight made Arthur seem golden all over as Gwen looked dazedly up at him. They were both bathed in a lazy orange glow that flicked against their skin as they made love.

 

They had already done so once that night but this time they were taking their time with each other. Every muscle in their body flexed and stretched as every gentle and slow yet deep and drawn out thrust was met.

 

The only sounds were gentle sighs, effortless breaths and glistening flames being tossed about by the faint freeze from the window.

 

Gwen bit her lip and closed her eyes in pleasure.

 

She had always had a secret love and curiosity about men that had a rougher side to their nature. It made it all the more interesting when she got to know them and discovered the more sensitive side of their personalities.

 

The only man she had ever really found that with was Arthur. She thought of him tearing down villains, bandits and dangerous creatures. Then he would come back and touch her so gently and with such adoration, she was excited by the fact that ‘Arthur the warrior’ and her lover Arthur were the same man. The juxtaposition between the two made her alight with desire. Her skin would literally  _burn_  for him.

 

They were entwined.

 

Arthur had long since buried his face into the nook of Gwen’s shoulder to pace himself and stop himself from seeing her expressions and getting too excited. He was taking her slowly and  _smoothly_.

 

She had wrapped herself around him. One arm was looped around his shoulders while the other roamed to whenever she felt it was needed. Right now it was against the small of his back, guiding him in each time he rocked against her.

 

She enjoyed the time he was taking with her, the long deep strokes and the slickness of their skin as they brushed against each other. It was all to bring them gradually towards an ebbing and long-lasting climax.

 

That made the slow pace worth it.

 

Gwen felt the teasing pleasure spread from between her legs to her stomach. All too often their sex involved grabbing a vigorous moment together. Their meetings were so scattered and far-between that when they finally did get half an hour of bliss they usually ended up having hard and furious sexual encounters. The only indulgence they had were through their kisses and crippling ‘I love yous’ just before they came crashing down together.

 

Yet even then they did it because they wanted to make the moment last. Last until the next time, whenever that would be. That was the paradox.

 

This was a rare occasion where they knew they had all night together. It was the heat of summer; everyone had slowed down for the night including the villains. The doors were firmly locked. Merlin was safely tucked up in bed. There would be no interruption.

 

Their first time that night had been like other encounters; swiftly throwing off their clothes, holding each other tight and satisfying their lust promptly. It was only after they recovered from exhaustion they realised the night was nowhere near over.

 

Arthur realised this before Gwen did, who reluctantly prepared to leave. But Arthur stopped her before she sat up. He rolled over to top her again and smiled.

 

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to be this indulgent with you,” he had whispered as his hand reached between them. Not since their very first time had they had a whole night.

 

The candle light was starting to fade as one by one the wick ran out and the light faded from them.

 

Gwen lifted Arthur’s head from the crook of her neck.

 

They beamed at each other and kissed passionately. She rested a hand on his side, near his hip to bring him closer. He responded with a gentle thrust. She inhaled delightedly, pulling him closer still and inducing him to mimic the movement again and again.

 

She tilted her head back as the waves of pleasure began to take complete hold of her. He took this chance to lay caresses on her neck. Their movements instinctively spend up as each knowing the other was close.

 

Gwen could hear Arthur’s shallow groans caught at the back of his throat. She responded by brushing her foot gently against the back of his leg. Such a simple gesture but it drove his senses wild. She felt her own senses loosen as she came, slowly and gratifyingly.

 

He came less than a second later, spilling richly inside her.

 

By the time they came to their senses they realised there were just two candles still lighting the room. The growing darkness around them had been all but lost through their actions.

 

After regaining his breath Arthur leant over and blew them out.


	5. Dream On! (Gwen/Merlin, Arthur) [E]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin has a sex dream about Gwen. It doesn’t go very well.

Of all the things Merlin thought he might be doing today, Guinevere was not one of them. How he had fallen into it too felt awfully strange. It wasn’t often that people rolled down a hill just for kicks and ended up neatly rolling on top of each other. Yet now he was here, he did not feel surprised or guilty about what he was doing.   
  
It was like he had slipped into an alternative world where there was no consequence for sleeping with his best friend, who also happened to be the girlfriend-lover-mistress of his other best friend who happened to be king.   
  
The fear of Arthur lingered in Merlin’s head but it was only an afterthought.  
  
Needless to say that Merlin was out of practise and inexperienced with sex; he was quite surprised that he’d managed to take his trousers off, grab his cock and stick it inside her without accidently elbowing her in the breasts or poking her in the eye.  
  
He pumped gently into her.  
  
It felt a little strange and he found it hard to really feel anything. To him, she felt warm, wet and  _lovely_  but Gwen didn’t seem to be feeling much herself.  
  
A minute past.  
  
“Um, Merlin?” Gwen said, breaking his train of thought.   
  
She looked up at him as if they were in the middle of a polite conversation. The only difference was that instead of standing perfectly still she was lying down, and being jolted by each movement Merlin made. It was weird seeing her like this.  
  
Gwen still didn’t seem to be feeling the effects.  
  
She looked up at him pityingly.  
  
“Are you alright?” she finally asked.  
  
Merlin continued, awkwardly. Something didn’t feel right. Physically, it didn’t feel right.  
  
“I’m fine,” he replied. “Just... feeling a little strange.”  
  
Sudden footsteps came up behind him.  
  
“Would that be because you’re shagging  _my_  lover?”  
  
Startled, Merlin swung to one side, easily detaching himself from Gwen and covered his modesty with shame. He knew that voice. That moment he heard the words ‘Would that—‘ he had simply accepted the fact that he was going to die. Horribly and painfully.  
  
Arthur loomed over him, arms crossed.  
  
Merlin glanced at Gwen; she seemed so calm and unbothered. She hadn’t even moved from the position she had been when he was between her legs and her face displayed no sign of disgrace or shock. It was as if she had closed down.  
  
So he swallowed hard and made with the explanation. “Arthur, I’m sorry,” Merlin began shakily. “We were rolling down the hill and it just... happened.”  
  
It had ‘just happened’. So quickly it didn’t seem real.  
  
He pulled a face to express his own genuine confusion.  
  
Arthur tilted his head, “So what? You tripped and  _fell_  into her?”  
  
His voice was being so sweet-tempered.   
  
This was strange.   
  
Very strange.  
  
Still, Merlin made the standard ‘plead for his life’ that he often thought he would have to make towards Arthur if something like this ever happened. Not that he ever expected it would happen but it was always good to plan for the worst when it came to Arthur.  
  
“Don’t kill me,” was Merlin first response.  
  
Gwen rolled her eyes, “Such a fuss!”  
  
Merlin stared in surprise at her. He didn’t have time to reply or even finish his grovelling-for-his-life speech because Arthur started talking: “Merlin, I’m not going to kill you. I’m not even going to geld you.”  
  
The warlock blinked, “Thanks...”  
  
“Now,” the prince went on, approaching the both. He slowly began to remove his belt. Merlin stared. Arthur smirked, “It seems like you were having a little trouble in there.”  
  
Merlin blinked, looked to Gwen (who comically waved back) and then back to Arthur.  
  
“I... might have.”  
  
The prince smirked and kneeled down on the ground. Merlin hugged his knees to him.  
  
“Would you like me to demonstrate how it should be done?”  
  
Merlin didn’t know what to say. His mouth, however, took charge of the situation and forced him to mutter: “Yes please...?”  
  
Then in a flash Arthur took the place Merlin had previously occupied between Gwen’s legs. She laughed in amusement. Without five seconds passing Arthur had slipped inside Gwen and begun his first few experimental thrusts.  
  
“Better take down notes, Merlin,” Arthur advised him.  
  
Miraculously a pen and paper appeared beside Merlin.  
  
“This is how a real man deals with a woman.”  
  
Gwen laughed shakily between the sensations of Arthur’s movements. “You really do have an ego don’t you?”  
  
Arthur laughed too.  
  
Merlin picked up the pen and paper, genuinely poised to take down notes on Arthur’s performance and Gwen’s reactions. This was very strange.  
  
He glanced to one side. There in the next field he caught sight of all the knights: Percival, Leon, Elyan, Lancelot and Gwaine. They were picking the large daisies, taking off the petals and throwing them in the air. It was a picturesque scene that Merlin weirdly appreciated.  
  
It then dawned on him.  
  
“Aren’t you paying attention?” Arthur scolded him.  
  
Merlin grinned and turned back to his two friends, still locked in coital intimacy. “This is a  _dream_ , isn’t it?”  
  
“Of course it’s a dream!” Gwen remarked, apparently surprised that he hadn’t realised this before. “Your latent desires are bearing fruit here.”  
  
“Exactly,” Arthur replied, still pumping but apparently unhindered by their conversation. “If the real me caught you having sex with Guinevere, he really would just kill you.”  
  
The knowledge that this was just a figment of Merlin’s imagination suddenly perked him up. All of a sudden his primary concern was that he would wake up before he could play out his secret, ultimate fantasy.  
  
“You know,” he said tentatively. “I’m really a hands-on kind of learner...”  
  
Arthur and Gwen stopped for a moment, looked at each other and smirked. “Why not?” Gwen said invitingly. “We’ll make it a threesome,” Arthur agreed.  
  
Yes, this was definitely a dream. The idea of Arthur being willing to sleep with anyone other than Gwen was bizarre.   
  
Just hearing him saying threesome sounded strange...  
  
  
Tragically, Merlin could feel someone shaking him. The waking world started to tug him out of sleep. He tried desperately to hang on and keep his imagination going but... alas.  
  
The campfire was dying down just to the left of him.  
  
Arthur and Gwen were sleeping just above him, their heads to his head.  
  
“Merlin,” called a voice softly.  
  
He looked up and saw Gwen was awake too, lying on her stomach to address him properly. Arthur was snoring lightly beside her. “Are you alright?” she asked. “You were moaning and groaning...”  
  
Merlin blushed.  
  
“I’m fine,” he croaked.  
  
And he rolled onto his side to look at the fire and think about what he'd done.


	6. Serene [E]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Gwen celebrate their reunion by making love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for my Weekly Challenge on camelot_love. This week I basically did a free-for-all and asked for prompts to help people feel better about 4x09.

Gwen couldn't fight back her tears.  
  
Her relief and renewed happiness was unparalleled to anything she had ever felt in a long time.  
  
Arthur tenderly kissed away the dampness of her cheeks.  
  
"I'm sorry," he kept whispered, trying to stifle his own tears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."  
  
Every stroke of the lips was a blissful comfort.  
  
Then Gwen suddenly moved her face to lock his lips to hers.  
  
They both knew how this was going to end. There was no more fitting way to mark this reunion as they crushed their lips against each other's mouths and threw their arms around each other's bodies in a passionate, desperate clutch.  
  
"I want you," she muttered against their kiss. She needily pressed her face against Arthur's, feeling herself grow weaker and weaker against her crushing love for him. "I need you..."  
  
He needed her too. He couldn't think of anything else right now. He had missed her, wept for her, mourned for the loss of their love forever... and now he was overpowered by the relief and guilt that had surrounded their parting. He felt angry that the cruelty of his sister and the lies of his uncle had almost led to the disgrace and loss of Guinevere forever.   
  
But he couldn't think about that now. All Arthur knew was that he wanted her.  
  
He had thought they would make love for the first time on their wedding night. He had always thought that was right and proper; but right now he couldn't wait. She didn't want to wait. He couldn't bear the thought of not taking her into his bed right now and finally making her his.  
  
No, they couldn't wait.  
  
The journey to Arthur's bed didn’t seem to happen. It was harried and blurred by the fact that they spent the whole time looking at each other. They might have literally just appeared right there, inside the firmly locked doors of his private chambers.  
  
Piece by piece they slipped out of their clothes: her travel clothes; his armour, until they were completely naked.  
  
It wasn’t enough to stop and regard each other for more than a second in all the bareness; they had to touch.  
  
Arthur picked her up with grace and carried her to the bed. He lay her down across mattress so that her head sunk into the pillows.  
  
They threw themselves together in a passionate frenzy; touching, stroking, grasping and caressing at each other’s skin. He felt so warm and hard, she felt so soft and tender. They clutched themselves together and resumed their previous kisses of love and desire.  
  
Arthur could feel his arousal starting to reach its peak.  
  
He gently nudged Gwen’s legs apart to feel her core, to see whether she was ready for him. Gwen closed her eyes and breathed happily. Arthur shivered with delight at just how damp she was, how the excitement of being here in this naked embrace with him and the joy of their reunion over all had been enough.  
  
She cooed delightedly as he traced his fingers against her intimately.  
  
“I should probably confess,” Arthur said slowly, “That I don’t know... a lot.”  
  
Gwen opened her eyes and smiled, “Neither do I.”  
  
It was then he discovered the true extent of her lack of knowledge.  
  
He looked at her with a sudden feeling of burden and responsibility, one he had never really thought of until this moment he was now coiled in her pleasing grasp.  
  
But Arthur knew to seize the day.  
  
Amongst so many other things, this moment was special.  
  
He pressed his lips against hers again as he perched over her, placing one hand on her hip as he prepared to enter her.  
  
He hesitated as he placed the head of his manhood to her.  
  
“Guinevere...” Arthur said slowly.  
  
Gwen leaned up slightly to stroke his cheek. “Take me now,” she demanded with a delicate whisper, “I want to be yours and yours alone.”  
  
Her expression was so calm and serene that it gave Arthur the momentary confidence He pushed into her slowly, wary the whole time that he was causing her pain. He watched with a mixed feeling of satisfaction and fear as Gwen gripped her eyes shut and clasped to his shoulders, hissing in pain.   
  
He leaned down to smother her face and neck with comforting kisses. She sighed happily at this and whispered under her breath with sweetness, “I love you.”  
  
Arthur felt a great tug in his heart; even in this newly personal moment between them, during which he had to hurt her to achieve their goal, she still found the desire to say those words. And when he kissed her thankfully, she said them again with an amused smile, “I love you.”  
  
Once they past the threshold of pain, Gwen did something that surprised Arthur a little. She gently pushed him onto his back to switch their positions. The gesture was not one he had expected, as it was the belief that all female virgins were frightened and coy during the first time. But not Gwen.  
  
She planted a deep kiss upon Arthur’s lips and then, using his shoulders to brace herself against him, she began to slowly move. She gasped and groaned a little in pain but Arthur comfortingly stroked her back, playing with the long locks of her loose hair.  
  
Finally, she found a position that was comfortable for her she began to move her hips back and forth.  
  
Arthur took a quivering breath, closed his eyes and took in the sweet, tight wetness of her body wrapped around him. Oddly enough he found himself preferring this position to the previous one. It felt a little strange watching her make love to him rather than him making love to her, but there was no denying that the view was amazing.  
  
He jerked his body up – causing her to moan in delight rather than discomfort, finally – and curled his mouth and tongue around one of her nipples. She tilted her head back and sharply jerked her hips against him, taking his cock even deeper into her body... as deep as it could possibly go.  
  
She liked that too, and slowly repeated the movement as he suckled her hungrily. He took such great delight in rubbing his tongue around the soft skin of her supple breasts. Then he finally pulled his mouth away from her with a quiet pop and began to thrust his hips upwards.  
  
Together they moved; damp from their labours as they teetered towards their first climax together. To ensure that they would come together, Arthur reached for the small nub between her legs and teased it relentlessly. He had heard of this key to the promise land from overhearing other men at court, including the knights, and the reaction from Gwen was just as they had promise.  
  
She cavorted mercilessly at the two routes of bliss shooting through her. Despite slight discomfort, despite initial pain, she came with a warm and silky feeling that scolded the pit of her stomach.  
  
Taking back his place of dominance, Arthur rolled Gwen back onto her back and completed himself a minute later, coming richly inside her with a loud, satisfied grunt.  
  
He rolled to one side of her; Gwen laid her head against his shoulder and stroked her hand across his chest. “I’m sorry,” she sighed, not sadly but quite contently, “for the pain I put you through.”  
  
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Arthur told her instantly. “I’m sorry for the torment you had to go through of... not knowing why you...”  
  
She lifted herself above him and placed a finger against his lips. “Let’s just say we’re both sorry and forget about it,” Gwen said hopefully. “Every time I think about the last few weeks of thinking I’d lost you forever, of thinking that I had betrayed you... it hurts.”  
  
Arthur swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice level when in reality it was cracking under his own memories. “I know,” he nodded.  
  
He took her hand and held it against his heart.  
  
She looked down at it a smiled.  
  
She then laid her head against his chest again, beaming delightedly at finally being in this cherished moment with him. A moment she feared she would never have.


	7. Responsible Grown-Ups [M]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen receives contraception from Gaius.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just written based on a conversation with @ Livejournal to cheer up a couple of my friends. Originally written 09/11/2011.

"What do you mean Arthur wants to kill me?" Merlin asked in confusion.  
  
Gwen tilted her head sympathetically; she felt a little bad about this because she knew that Merlin was guilty of any wrong doing. But she kept quiet nonetheless because she was due to be rewarded if she could get Merlin out of the way for a few hours.  
  
"He thinks you've been in the tavern for the last two days," she finally explained.  
  
Merlin's eyes widened.  
  
"Two days?!" he repeated. "Surely he doesn't believe I was in there that long," and he turned to Gaius. "I told you to say anything other than the tavern."  
  
Gaius shrugged.  
  
Merlin huffed, got up and charged towards the door. "I suppose I'd best go and face the music," he muttered. The other two called 'Good luck' out to him and watched as the door swung shut behind.  
  
"Interesting," Gaius muttered, turning his attention to Gwen. "I didn't tell Arthur that Merlin was in the tavern. I wonder where he got that idea from..."  
  
Gwen smiled nervously and looked away. "I don't know," she said. "That's just what Arthur told me..."  
  
"Hm," the old man murmured in amusement, "It sounds to me like Arthur wants to punish Merlin and get rid of him for a little while."  
  
"Possibly," Gwen nodded and looked away. "I'm not sure..."  
  
"I wonder if it has something to do with the other day."  
  
Gwen felt her heart skip a beat. Her head snapped around to look Gaius in the eyes and she smiled self-consciously. She chuckled nervously, "What was that?"  
  
Gaius tilted his head, "Come now, Gwen. I've been around for a long time and I know when two people are more intimate in their relationship than they want people to know."  
  
She blushed.  
  
But she shook her head. "Nope, I still don't understand where you're coming from..."  
  
"You and Arthur," Gaius pushed the issue calmly. "Yesterday you were a little flustered but noticeably calm about Arthur's state of undress. He himself was a little awkward but mildly amused."  
  
"What are you getting at?"  
  
The old man smirked and produced a bottle of light coloured potion and held it out for Gwen. "I'm saying that you should think about taking this. I don't trust the potions that midwives make and most of them are frauds or ineffective..."  
  
Gwen chuckled again, "Are you talking about--? Is that a--?"  
  
Gaius nodded, "I believe every young couple pre-contracted should invest in contraception."  
  
This was a supremely uncomfortable moment for Gwen. She looked at the potion Gaius had made for her and regarded it keenly. She really did want to take it from him; a prescription such as this seemed like it would be more comfortable than Arthur's prophylactic.  
  
He wiggled the bottle in front of her.  
  
"Well," Gaius said. "Aren't you going to take it?"  
  
He placed the bottle on the workbench between them.  
  
"Make sure you take one sip every time after the two of you copulate," Gaius explained to her. "Come back to me when you run out and see me immediately if you forget to take it. That would require a slightly different potion--"  
  
Gwen couldn't take this anymore. Yes, she wanted the potion but  _God_  she felt like her whole life was on display right now.   
  
Had the state of hers and Arthur's relationship really been that obvious to Gaius just by his witnessing her reaction to seeing Arthur naked?  
  
Had it really been that obvious that Gwen, while trying to keep her eyes firmly off Arthur’s lower-regions, all she could think about was climbing on that body and drenching him with kisses and covering him with love-bites?  
  
Had it also been clear that the moment Gwen saw Arthur’s coy smile when she couldn’t wrench her eyes off him a small pulse and a burst of desire had quaked between her legs?  
  
Had Gaius also worked out that the whole Merlin being in the tavern attack was just a stunt on their part so they could have Arthur's chambers to themselves while he learned how to polish armour properly?   
  
Obviously he'd worked that out.   
  
Else why did he go along with what she had told Merlin?  
  
She liked her lips and looked at the bottle.  
  
She then spoke to him frankly. "Gaius, while I appreciate...  _this_. I would be very grateful if you pretended... not to know the score as well as you do, if you know what I'm saying."  
  
He knew exactly.  
  
He pushed the potion forward.  
  
"Here is the potion for that chill you haven't recently had," Gaius told her with a knowing smile.  
  
Gwen beamed, "Thank you, Gaius."  
  
And she snatched up the potion immediately.  
  
"Seriously," she said more genuinely. "Thank you..."  
  
And with that she rushed off to see Arthur.


	8. Bathing (R)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen feels compelled to help Arthur bathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for alliekaat on my Weekly After-Episode Challenge on LiveJournal. Her prompt very simply was that ‘Gwen helps Arthur bathe and ends up bathing herself.’ Originally published 09/11/2011.

Arthur did not hear Gwen come into his chambers.  
  
Following three days of several strange events, Arthur was finally ready to have is bath. Merlin look confused when he warned him that the water better not be cold this time, and he made sure that the water was actually prepared and just a  _little_  too hot before he started to strip off his clothes so that when he finally did get in, it would be perfect.  
  
Merlin knew that Gwen was there, and he thought her presence was very amusing. He didn't remember what had happened during his time as a zombie, after all.  
  
He gave her the thumbs up once Arthur was in the bath and snuck off into the next room, saying he would be back in a minute. But he wouldn't.  
  
She picked up the rinsing jug.  
  
Her most deadly weapon.  
  
Gwen made sure to be especially quiet so she could 'surprise' Arthur. It seemed a little bit strange invading his personal space yet again outside of wedlock, but oddly enough after seeing Arthur in all his natural glory, Guinevere found it hard not to return to the scene of exposure.  
  
Ever since she had seen  _it_ , she couldn't get  _it_  out of her head. Not to mention what she would like to do with  _it_...  
  
“Merlin” Arthur called out behind him. “I need that jug now...”  
  
Gwen bit her lips.  
  
“Hello, Arthur,” she said softly.  
  
He literally spun around in his bath.  
  
His expression was the same as yesterday, albeit a little less startled as he had time to prepare himself after he heard her voice from behind him.  
  
He swallowed hard. “Guinevere.”  
  
“Merlin had things to take care of,” Gwen said with a calm smile. “So I said I would tend to you until he was done...”  
  
“Right,” Arthur croaked. “And how long would that be...?”  
  
“Not for a while.”  
  
She said it with such oozing confidence that Arthur felt his whole lower region stomach down tingle with heat. He looked down at himself, covered waist down in water, and smirked ironically. “I suppose after yesterday there is very little left for you to see...”  
  
Gwen wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.  
  
Arthur felt a rush through his whole body.  
  
“So... how much did you see?” he asked curiously.  
  
Gwen tilted her head and smiled coyly:  _“Everything.”_  
  
“Everything...”  
  
“From head to toe,” she clarified. “And everything in between.”  
  
Arthur looked down again at himself.  
  
“You also seemed to have a hard time keeping it all... covered,” Gwen added.  
  
He blushed and looked up at her again.  
  
“ _And_ ,” Gwen finished, looking down at him with a keenness she had done her best to curve in the presence of the old physician the other day when Arthur was naked, “water isn’t exactly opaque.”  
  
Arthur looked down again and covered his manhood with his hands as best he could.  
  
Gwen chuckled.   
  
“Calm down Arthur; you have  _nothing_  to be ashamed of.”  
  
He laughed self-consciously.   
  
“Well, that’s good to know.”  
  
A long silence past.  
  
Suddenly, Gwen lost her earlier bud of confidence. She took a deep breath and began to back away, “I’m making you feel uncomfortable.” She prepared to put the jug down, “I’ll go and fetch Merlin and let you finish your bath in peace...”  
  
Then Arthur did something unprovoked.  
  
He stood up.  
  
Gwen nearly dropped the jar with a loud clang. Given she had used it to knock Merlin out twice she knew just how loud the clang would have been... and oddly enough it would have really completed the moment.  
  
Despite having seen it all yesterday it still had a powerful effect on her.  
  
She thought her heart might explode under the pressure.  
  
“I’m not uncomfortable,” Arthur finally said with a smile. “Are you?”  
  
Unable to resist the urge, Gwen looked down at him again. This time he made no attempt to cover up. Slowly, her eyes travelled upwards towards his eyes and she gasped her thoughts aloud with more relish than she knew she could muster: “You look  _so good_  wet...”  
  
Ten minutes later they were both stripped and settled in the water. Arthur had decided to even their score by pulling Gwen towards him, despite his dampness, and undo her dress while kissing her invitingly, beckoning her to join him in the bath.  
  
“I see,” she had joked once he had unfastened her fastenings, “Tit for tat?”  
  
She keenly stepped away and allowed her dress to drop to the floor.  
  
Now she was within the warmth a safety of Arthur’s arms and the water, Gwen resumed their earlier kiss charged with built up sexual tension over the last couple of days. And holding her nakedness against his while straddling him in the bath was not nearly as exposing as she feared it would be. It was liquidising hot, for more reasons than one.  
  
Gwen broke the kiss, feeling something growing against her.  
  
Arthur chuckled, “Involuntary action. I’m not used to company while I’m bathing.”  
  
She tilted her head again.  
  
“Merlin is usually here with you.”  
  
He nodded, “True but if he took his clothes off and climbed in with me, needless to say I would  _not_  be kissing him.”  
  
“Hm,” Gwen said teasingly. “That’s reassuring.”  
  
She wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him again before using her free arm to reach over to grab the soap. She regarded him with lustful eyes.  
  
“Alright,” she said confidently. “Now that we are ‘even’, it’s time to get you clean. You’re a lot dirtier than I realised.”


	9. Reunion [M]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Gwen are reunited after winning back Camelot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this a while ago on my Prompt Me! page for ella_rose88 before 3x13 aired. So if they don't exactly match up, you'll know why. Originally posted 24/10/2011.

Gwen slipped out of the saddle and into Arthur's arms.   
  
It had been four days since she had last saw him.   
  
He and Merlin had gone off to 'spring' the plan while Gwen remained safe in the forest with her brother, Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival and the ever dependable Leon. It had been long, awkward and mildly amusing; Gwaine had kept them entertained with his hilariously ridiculous stories.   
  
It was good to be back now.   
  
Gwen didn’t realise how much she had missed him until he was there.   
  
She felt as though she might fall into his arms as Arthur drew her into a kiss. They locked each other with a fierce, passionate kiss fuelled with the joy of their reunion and the knowledge that they had both survived. They were crushed by the power of their feelings.   
  
They forgot where they were... and that Leon, Percival, Gwaine, Lancelot and Elyan were watching them.   
  
They ended the kiss with a gentle brush of their noses. Gwen wrapped her arms around Arthur neck and embraced him tightly. For days she had longed to feel the warmth, tenderness and solidness of his embrace. She had missed feeling his hands as they brushed her hair, roamed her back and clasped her hips.   
  
Plenty of men had tried to arouse desire in her but all it ever aroused in her was discomfort. But when she was here with Arthur, it was different...   
  
“I missed you,” Arthur whispered into her hair.   
  
Gwen closed her eyes and gasped, “I missed you too.”   
  
Arthur looked over her shoulder to see the five men staring at them. Leon, Percival and Elyan were smiling, Lancelot had an awkward expression (Arthur observed with  _shameful_  satisfaction) and when Gwaine noticed the prince was looking at him, he waved comically.   
  
“Good to see you lot made it too,” he said to them, letting Gwen go. She kept hold of his hand as he turned to address Leon. “Hope they behaved themselves while I was gone.”   
  
Leon winked at him, “They did. No worries.”   
  
Gwen moved closer to whisper in Arthur’s ear.   
  
“Let’s go inside.”   
  
He looked at her, “Don’t you want to thank this lot for looking after you.”   
  
“I did that before I got here,” she told him quickly, keen to head inside  _now_. “Besides, I want to...  _go inside_.”   
  
“Are you tired?”   
  
Arthur said that with a naive smile, stroking her cheek. He was too pleased to see her to realise what she was hankering for. Gwen wetted her lips and tried again.   
  
“No, what I mean is I want to... catch up with you.  _In private._ ”   
  
He watched her with soft eyes as Gwen took his hand between her two smaller hands and gently caressed his knuckles. It started to dawn on him what she meant.   
  
“By which I mean,” she added to ram home the point, “I want to show you just how much I missed you.”   
  
She even wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, very aware of the five sets of eyes burning into the back of her head.  _Please understand what I mean!_  They all seemed to have ‘got’ what Gwen was saying before it truly dawned on Arthur what she wanted.

  

So much for the ‘They’ll see’ attitude from earlier; it was time to take a leaf out of Arthur’s book.   
  
A glimmer sparked in Arthur’s eyes as he finally realised her meaning. He wanted to laugh with delight but he knew that wasn’t proper when he was in front of his men. Not that it would have made a difference. There was no chance of Arthur and Gwen leaving with grace and dignity without all and sundry knowing they were headed for the bed chamber.   
  
So Arthur saw no point in trying to rescue an already lost situation.   
  
“We’re going  _inside_  n-OW,” he said brightly, his last word cut off as Gwen yanked him along.   
  
She wasn’t wasting any more time.   
  
The five ‘knights’ were left sitting on their horses, watching the pair run off. Gwaine looked across to the other knights. Elyan looked considerably more embarrassed than he had when they were just kissing. Lancelot didn’t look quite as disappointed as he had a few moments ago but he did share an awkward glance with Percival and Leon, who both laughed.   
  
Gwaine decided it was time to save the situation.   
  
“Come on, you lot!” he declared with a grin. “Let’s all grab a drink and celebrate our home coming.”   
  
  
*

    
  

Neither Arthur nor Gwen could ever remember walking the fair distance from the courtyard to the bed chambers. They could barely remember locking the door.   
  
The first thing Gwen could remember was sitting on the table in front of Arthur, sitting in his chair and removing his boots. Once he had done that he took the heels of Gwen’s own boots and slowly removed them from her feet too.   
  
After that there was a flurry of activity as they mirrored each other in removing the rest of their clothing; belts, trousers, shirts were all removed leaving them to kiss and embrace as they had before, this time in private and completely bare.   
  
Gwen smiled as Arthur kissed her lips, cheek, neck, shoulder blade and breasts. She leaned forward and kissed his shoulder while gently brushing her fingers across his back. Arthur shivered with delight at her tender touches. She could feel his approval growing against her.   
  
She took his hand and led him towards the bed. He keenly followed.   
  
“I thought of nothing but you while we were apart,” she whispered, and fell backwards onto the bed and rested her head against the pillows in an attempt to look seductive. It was clumsy but good enough.   
  
Gwen looked up at Arthur who still stood, watching her. To him, she looked perfect.   
  
It didn’t take him long after that to join her.   
  
He propped himself above her and grinned, “Promise?”   
  
“I promise,” she chuckled, lifting her head to kiss him again. Her arms looped around his neck as he carefully positioned himself between her legs. “I thought of nothing but you and me, and this...”   
  
“You mean this?”   
  
Arthur pushed inside her easily. They both gasped at the sensation; it had been a long time since they’d had a moment like this. Gwen dabbed her fingers along Arthur’s back and he tried to stay still and enjoy the feeling of being just there.   
  
“ _Yes_ ,” Gwen breathed deeply.   
  
He responded by slipping in and out of her again, coaxing a tiny moan out of her. He kissed her lips again, “And that?”   
  
He did again and this time she rolled her hips against him.   
  
“Yes,” she said softly. “And  _that_.”   
  
Gwen kissed and held Arthur tightly as he rocked against her. It was soft and pleasant even at the early stages, just like everything else she enjoyed with him – their conversations, kisses and embraces.   
  
Then they got into it. Arthur began to move faster, Gwen began to respond exactly to his movements. It built up and up  _and up_  until the only sounds in the room was that of their desperate moans and the creaks of the headboard. This led them easily to a climax.   
  
 _Thank goodness the lads didn’t see **this**..._    
  
Gwen shivered and she tilted her head back lethargically. Arthur leaned down to kiss her exposed neck, waiting for her to ride through the last ebbs of pleasure before he moved off her.   
  
He rolled to one side and took a deep breath.   
  
“You know,” he began with a satisfied smile. “I thought of nothing but you while we were apart too.”

  

Gwen moved over to rest her head against his shoulder.   
  
“It must have been very distracting for you if you were thinking of  _this_  during a battle situation,” she teased playfully.   
  
“Every time I thought my mind was in order BAM there you were – naked, most of the time,” he joked back.   
  
She chuckled and ran her hand across his chest.   
  
“I really did miss you though,” she added tenderly, watching her hand as she moved it. “And not just because I was hard-up. I hated not being about to be with you or knowing where you were. I knew if I was caught escaping Camelot, I’d be killed... but I had to find you. Then there was the trip back to Camelot; I just wanted to be with you...”   
  
There was a moment of silence as Arthur thought about what she said. Everything she said was true of him too. He begrudgingly admitted that he enjoyed Merlin’s company (Given that he was stuck with it most of the time) but there was always a part of him that wanted Gwen to be with him. The past year had made him feel it more than ever and now... he  _knew_  he never wanted to be parted from her again.   
  
Arthur knew that once they officially took back the city and restored Uther to power, he would damned-well kill him for what he was about to do. But Arthur no longer cared.   
  
“Actually,” he said slowly after a long silence. “There was another reason why I had you on the mind.”   
  
He felt her smile against his skin again, “What is it?”   
  
“There was something I wanted to... ask you, I suppose.”   
  
Arthur knew his words were awkward but for once he didn’t let it bother him. He sat up, taking Gwen with him and then reached far over towards where his clothes had been conveniently thrown. He grabbed his belt and his trousers, not able to remember where exactly he had put it.   
  
“I was going to ask you this later in some... set up romantic situation,” Arthur admitted as he fished through the pockets. “Then you distracted me with  _this_ and now I think... this is as romantic as... this is... going to... GET!”   
  
He was triumphant in his quest.   
  
Gwen tilted her head, “What is it?”   
  
“It’s a chain necklace with a ring on it,” Arthur announced, stating the obvious with comic dryness. He unravelled the object he had been keeping safe. Gwen stared at it, not knowing what to say. “It is supposed to be a... promise ring.”   
  
Her heart skipped a beat and she took the ring from him.   
  
“You don’t have to take it,” he added reluctantly. “I’ll know either way but if you do take it then—then I’m willing to promise myself to you too.”   
  
Gwen looked at it closely and smiled. It was a simple chain and a simple ring design, just as he knew she would have wanted. She would never have wanted anything fussy or fancy posy ring that she couldn’t wear in day to day life. This was a golden band with a silver band through the middle.   
  
She brushed back her hair and placed the long chain around her neck.   
  
She then smiled, “I’ll never take it off.”   
  
Not until the day their promises became reality.


	10. Dirty Images [E]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cenred muses on his unsettling attraction to Gwen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Non-graphic (imaginary) non-con between Cenred/Gwen. This was born out of a few discussions a few people in the fandom had about Cenred being a little attracted to Gwen during that scene in 3x07.
> 
> Originally published 20/01/2011.

Cenred’s eyes were firmly fixed on the way Gwen clutched the goblet in both hands.   
    
They seemed too dainty to be the hands of a maid. He had good experience with handmaidens. Their skin was usually blistered, sore and red with rawness. This girl was a high-ranking servant to a noblewoman... but Cenred also knew that Morgause’s sister was a malicious bitch. He imagined that Morgana would set Gwen to do painful and hard tasks with a sycophantic smile, pretending to be all innocent and nice.   
    
These hands meant to be used for scrubbing floors and carrying hot plates.  _It must be her palms that are rough_. Rough from years of labour, rough like his own were from years of swordplay.   
    
Cenred watched the gulps as they trickled down Gwen’s throat.   
    
He could understand why this serving girl had caught Prince Arthur’s eye. Even dishevelled from her abduction, Guinevere was very  _appealing_. Usually one serving girl was much like another. They carried meals, they poured drinks and they warmed beds if and when their masters desired them. Some were prettier than others but they all had the same manner.   
    
Gwen was strangely seductive in her terror.   
    
This girl had an air about her. Even though her hair was wild and her skin was glistened with the glow of fear, she was innocently alluring.   
    
He could see the thoughts coursing through her head.  _What would he do to her?_   _What would he do to Elyan? Why had he brought them to this place?_ She was clearly a woman who never stopped thinking.   
    
Cenred pursed his lips as he watched the young woman trapped within her own sense of dread, of not knowing the reason she was here. What reason could there be? She was just a servant and Elyan was just a blacksmith...   
    
Elyan must have done something unbelievably foolish, she thought forlornly.   
    
She moved the cup away from her lips and brushed away stray strands of water.   
    
The king continued to watch.   
    
Guinevere had lovely lips.   
    
Cenred would have liked to press his own mouth against hers at that moment, just to feel what they felt like. He wondered how many times Arthur had pressed his mouth against them. It was probably not as many as the prince would have liked, but enough to be addicted to it and to crave her lips and touch often.   
    
Gwen seemed like that sort of woman, the type that got under men’s skin in a completely oblivious way. She had the look and the manner. It was exactly the type of woman that he imagined Arthur Pendragon would want. She was a rose with rough edges, a pearl among brass buttons; a rare jewel in the crown of women out there in the world. She probably made Arthur a good mistress.   
    
She was probably too decent for a man like Cenred, too moral, sweet and sound for his vulgar and hardened ways. This girl made a lovely little playmate for his adversary, but he was man who valued satisfaction over love...   
    
Nonetheless this girl could offer  _much_  satisfaction to even the most hardened of warriors. She was beautiful, after all.   
    
For a moment Cenred contemplated what it would be like to kiss Guinevere.  _What if he were to try it? What would happen if he kissed her right now?_ Well, she would be repulsed. She would likely squirm in disgust at having  _that_  man so close to her and tug her face away from him, harshly.   
    
She would definitely reject him.   
    
Cenred knew exactly how he would handle that.   
    
He would grab her face forcefully and pull her eye-line back to his. She would look at him with the same malice she was now, almost daring him to do his worst. It made her all the more attractive to him. He would keep her chin clutched painfully in his grip as he lowered his mouth and assaulted her with his tongue.   
    
She probably wouldn’t know what to do when her attempts to pull away failed. No, she wouldn’t dear kick or bite him for fear of her life. But she would probably go off in her little world and dream about her beloved prince, who doubtless she’d think was a better kisser than him.   
    
It made Cenred want to smirk.   
    
In his arrogance Cenred guessed the girl would give in eventually and kiss him back. She seemed like a smart girl, and it was more dangerous to refuse him. No serving girl could refuse the will of a king, not even a servant with the love of a prince who within a few hours she would be returned to the  _loving_ arms of.   
    
The thought of the girl’s mouth took Cenred’s mind to much darker thoughts too, especially since he knew Morgause was watching. She refused to relieve his desires so... why shouldn’t he relieve them with Guinevere? Not that it would make Morgause jealous. In fact she might have even approved had they not needed to send this girl back to Arthur undamaged.   
    
It was a damn shame that a pretty lower-class girl should leave his castle unmolested... but if she were, the plan wouldn’t have the same effect. Arthur would be seeking retribution for her rape rather than trying to comfort his sweet beloved who had lost her brother.   
    
To harm her would cause Arthur to self-destruct, and they needed him alive for at least a little while after they captured him.   
    
“Once he is captured you can do what you like with the woman,” Morgause said coolly. “Not before, though.”   
    
Deflowering this little lavender angel would be such a delicious crime, one that – when they crossed paths again – Cenred would take great pleasure in committing.  _In public_. Preferably with Morgause watching...   
    
Then again it might prove an effective form of torture to make Arthur watch. It would definitely get him talking about the Camelonian defences if Cenred took his short dagger and used it to pry open the simple fastenings on Guinevere’s dress, one button at a time...   
    
But what if he were to do it  _right now_?   
    
Cenred wetted his lips a little as he mapped out his actions in his mind.   
    
He would shove her roughly against the wall, holding her firm and hard against his body. The girl would definitely squeak like she had when he approached her with that knife to free her bound hands. He had liked that sound. It had been amusing, and the thought of making her yelp that way again as he shoved every inch of his torso against every curve of hers was interesting.   
    
He imagined Gwen would be too startled to fight against passion. Even if she did fight, it would make the victory all the more thrilling.   
    
Of course if Guinevere struggled too much he would have to slap her into compliance. A quick, swift whack across the check was usually enough to stun any woman still. Her head would be tossed to one day momentarily and slowly come back just in time to see him withdraw his short dagger once again. If the slap didn’t bring obedience then that usually did.   
    
It was easy to picture those dark eyes focused on his blade. Cenred imagined he would wave it slowly in front of them, reflecting the dim sun and candle light off its smooth surface. Gwen would make another startled flinch – just like the one before – as he quickly brought the knife to the ties of her bodice and sliced through them.   
    
Maybe there would be once last ounce of bravery on her part? She might just as push him away as he tries to rip the rest of her dress from her or attempt to kick him as she used her busy hands to keep her bodice closed about her body in vain.   
    
Cenred hoped he wouldn’t have to hold the dagger to her neck and spit the words,  _“Keep quiet or I’ll cut your throat”_ , although he wasn’t opposed to making such a threat. This would be his last bid to force Guinevere to comply.   
    
She was a clever girl. She would realise then if not a moment before that giving him what he wanted was the best course of action. It was just sex after all. He imagined she was one of these girls who guarded her chastity well... but knew it wasn’t worth dying for.   
    
Gwen’s resistance would take a non-violent form of just gritting her teeth and enduring it. Cenred wouldn’t be fussy so as long as he had her. He would have liked to have been able to seduce her but he knew there was little chance of that.   
    
Not with Arthur close to her mind.   
    
He couldn’t help picturing her closing her eyes as he tore away the last boundaries between her femininity and his masculinity – as if her imagination could take her somewhere else. But he’d bring her crashing back to reality once he invaded her, broke down her defences and took claim on her. It had been such a while since he’d felt the tightness of a woman...   
    
Regardless of whether Guinevere continued to recoil in disgust or crashed with guilty pleasure by the end, Cenred knew the gratification of just having a woman after so long would probably make him come quickly. Especially one was beautiful as this one.   
    
To think that Arthur loved this woman so passionately would make her violation all the more perfect...   
    
    
    
Cenred slowly approached her and took the cup from Gwen’s hand. Slowly he lifted his hand to stroke her cheek. Just as he expected, she recoiled as he reached up to stroke her cheek.   
    
Gwen’s eyes were dark and glistening.   
    
 _“Where have you taken Elyan?”_    
    
 _“He’s safe,”_  Cenred growled quietly _. “For now.”_    
  



End file.
